Lumina - the University of South-East Europe respects the dignity of each of its members and promotes academic integrity, equal rights, intellectual partnership and cooperation, regardless of their political opinions or religious beliefs. Its members commit themselves to participate directly in the development on fair grounds of the University and of society as a whole.

The University, as a legal person of private law, promotes the values of fair competition in the academic environment, respecting the rights of all educational and research institutions, components of the national and international educational system.

The members of the academic community assume liability for failure to comply with their obligations according to the law and the Charter of the University, and for non-compliance with the norms, being thereby detrimental to the image and prestige of higher education.

Academic Freedom

Academic freedom means:

the right of selecting the members of the academic community under the criteria set by this Charter;

the right of the members of the academic community to acquire, develop and convey knowledge freely in the field of their professional training;

the right of the members of the academic community to conduct scientific research in any field of activity, in accordance with deontological rules;

the right of the members of the academic community to participate in the organisation, management and educational activities and scientific research.

Personal Autonomy

The exercise of personal autonomy in the university means a possibility to choose individually and in full knowledge the study and research programmes, academic career paths, opportunities, and the level of excellence that someone wants to accede to in the context of the laws and regulations in force.

All information of major importance to the members of the academic community and the general public which is not confidential or secret, especially as regards the fulfilment of academic standards, programmes of study and research, evaluation, access and promotion (through admission, employment, contracting), faculty members and the relevant elements of their professional CV, university management members and their CVs, the structure of the university, academic research, material basis, social services, etc. will be made available to all persons interested, on an equal basis and timely, in order to enable them to choose knowingly their studies and profession.

The Principle of Non-discrimination and Equality of Chances

Discrimination in the academic environment represents an unequal treatment of a person, a treatment which aims at or leads to a violation or limitation of that person's rights in terms of gender, race, age, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, religion, social status, property or the environment of origin.

Removal of Conflicts of Interests

The teaching staff (including members of the management of the university and of all its structures) and the non-teaching staff must take the necessary measures to avoid or adequately solve the situations in which conflicts of interest may arise, and which could, directly or indirectly, be detrimental to the mission of the higher education institution.

Conflicts of interest arise from the intersection of several types of relationships or positions which might affect the correct judgments and assessments and / or the actions of the leadership.

Preventing and Combating Corruption

Vitiating the academic climate can have as main source corruption. This leads to unfair treatment, injustice and favouritism, undermines the application of the principle of merit and creates suspicion and distrust in true values.

The promotion of teachers is based on competition held under transparent conditions, objectivity and morality, pursuing professional competence, scientific research activity and teaching performance.

The university takes measures to provide access to equal opportunities for students and teachers with respect to education, employment and national and international scientific research programmes.

Students' assessment in the final verification forms is transparent and is done on the basis of objective criteria and competitiveness.

Individual Merit

The university ensures the recognition, nurturing and rewarding of personal and collective merits conducive to the fulfilment of its institutional mission. University members must make proof of professionalism, loyalty to the institution and academic community members, creativity, efficiency and performance. Accountability as to the evaluation standards of merit and their application lies with the Commission for Quality Assurance in Education, with the leadership of chairs, Faculty Councils or Scientific Councils of Departments, as well as with the Rector and the President of the University.

Professionalism

The University of South-East Europe seeks to cultivate a favourable environment for quality in education. For this purpose, it promotes high standard academic programmes, able to lead to the evolution of knowledge, the formation of competitive specialists and able also to increase research prestige. Thus, it encourages and rewards the orientation towards scientific and pedagogical quality, and especially towards teachers', researchers' and students' excellence.

Academic professionalism is characterised by:

Competence in the exercise of the profession;

Commitment to the teaching, research and managerial career, as appropriate;

Moral obligation to carry out the didactic activity in the service of students, avoiding excessive emotional involvement, arbitrary and unjustified treatment;

Ability to maintain self-control and professional standards;

Peer solidarity and fair competition with the teaching staff and scientists from the university and / or field of activity.

Intellectual Honesty and Fairness

Members of the academic community should have an institutional behaviour. Fraud, deceit, forgery, threat, intimidation, violence or verbal violence in the academic environment and outside it, are prohibited and are punishable in accordance with the gravity they represent.

The University is preoccupied with ensuring a just and fair treatment, allowing the fair and equitable distribution and assessment of teaching and administrative duties, removing any attempt to abuse of power, corruption, favouritism or inequality of chances. Any form of intellectual fraud is forbidden.

Transparency of Information, Procedures and Decision-making

Transparency, as an ethical principle liable to contribute to ensuring equal opportunities in competition, and equitable access to resources is practiced and fostered in Lumina - the University of South-East Europe by making available to whomever is interested – academic community members, candidates, graduates, public - all the information they are entitled to receive, in sufficient quantity and of flawless quality.

The University encourages transparency regarding the conditions and rules of admission competitions, undergraduate exams, contests for filling teaching vacancies, periodic assessments of employees, interviews and examinations for promotion, as well as any other information related to the evaluation criteria and their implementation, conduct of competitions, obligations of the positions that candidates will hold following contests, in accordance with the law on transparency of public interest information.

This ensures equal opportunities in competition, and fair access to academic resources. The university prohibits concealment, falsification or distortion of information which its members and the general public are entitled to receive.

Respect and Tolerance among Members of the Academic Community

The university is an academic environment conducive to study and scientific research, open to all members of the academic community, fostering the values of rationality, the exchange of ideas, autonomy and individual responsibility.

The preservation of this academic environment implies mutual respect, active tolerance and cooperation among academic community members and in their relationships with external collaborators.

The university does not allow any form of harassment in the academic environment, regardless of the form of manifestation (misogyny, sexism, racism, chauvinism, xenophobia, harassment on account of political or religious beliefs), which is incompatible with the policy regarding equal opportunities, nullifying the respect for the personnel's and students' right to a fair and respectful treatment.

Intimidation and harassment create a hostile environment, characterised by a degrading, humiliating or intimidating behaviour, seriously affecting a person's ability to carry out normally one's professional and study activities and to exercise one's rights to assert one's personality.Insulting behaviour directed against hierarchical inferiors is a form of misuse of powers, and if it repeats it takes the form of harassment. Firmness and severity are not offensive behaviours unless they become excessive, systematic and unjust, directed against the same persons as acts of persecution.

Individual Responsibility

The university endorses involvement in professional and public issues, the spirit of collegiality and civic responsibility. Academic programmes and activities shall be geared towards the needs of society.

Individual responsibility means to assume professional / scientific opinions; responsibility entails academic community members' refraining from formulating publically opinions which could be interpreted as attempts to spread disinformation or disparagement of programmes and / or people from one's own institution.

Moral Integrity

The academic community and the technical-economic and administrative stuff should be an example of moral integrity as to both the relationship with the students and social and professional relationships.

Loyalty and Confidentiality

The staff of the academic community has the obligation to respect the confidentiality in matters pertaining to the life of academic community members, and not to provide information on such matters unless authorized by the dean or the rector, and only when there are justified reasons. This rule applies also to personal requests regarding confidentiality as to one's marital status, sexual orientation or hidden disabilities, residence, political affiliation, religion, etc.

Staff members who have access to documents and information must take care to maintain the absolute confidentiality and privacy of such information and to protect the persons who do not want this information to become public. Personal files are confidential.